Sustainability in action: Gina Tricot

Sustainability Case Study

Gina Tricot was founded in 1997 as a family-owned chain of stores offering affordable fashion apparel.

Combined with growing online sales, they now reach fashion-councious women though 180 stores in 28 countries across Europe. With the knowledge that work towards sustainability is ever-changing and requires long-term persistence, Gina Tricot is determined to ensure results by their day-to-day efforts within this area.

Sustainable Materials

Cotton is an important resource for Gina Tricot – but in order for cotton production to become sustainable, efforts to reduce consumption of water, pesticides and fertilizers need to be introduced and supported.

Gina Tricot strives to increase the amount of certified organic cotton in collections and is also an active member of the Better Cotton Initiative (BCI), a cooperative project in which leading companies and organisations finance and implement practical training on farm level – resulting in more sustainable use of water and pesticides – as well as improved yields.

Together with select suppliers, Gina Tricot is continuously sourcing recycled oil-based fibers and supports post-consumer recycling through a garment-collecting program in Sweden, Denmark, Finland and Germany.

Both cotton and synthetic fibers will have their place in tomorrow’s fashion, but should be used more sparingly.

Therefore, Gina Tricot sees a need for innovative fibers from new sources and proud to offer best-in-class fibers such as Tencel and ProViscose, produced from wood from sustainably managed forests, using state-of the-art methods.

Gina Tricot also sees a renaissance for classic high-quality textile materials, such as flax, silk, and wool. There are sustainability challenges in the production of these materials too – but for Gina Tricot it is important to underline the relation between quality and sustainability. A garment that can be used for a long time, one that also offers attractive tactile and visual qualities, is in itself sustainable.

Sustainability Reporting

Gina Tricot voluntarily reports annually on its sustainability efforts, providing information to employees, customers, media, various interest groups and suppliers. The most important aspect of sustainability reporting is for it to provide a correct and fair view of the results.

“Measurability is essential to efforts aimed at achieving sustainable development," says Anna-Karin Wårfors, CSR Manager, Gina Tricot. “By measuring the efforts and presenting them in a report, Gina Tricot is able to show the rest of the world and ourselves what we've been able to achieve and what we need to focus on going forward."

Gina Tricot's report follows the GRI standards, which is a reporting system that makes it possible to compare their annual report to those of other companies using the same system.

Community investment

Bangladesh has a population of 157 mn, amongst the highest density in the world. It is one of the poorest nations in the world, with approximately 26% of the population living below the national poverty line.

It is also the world's second-largest apparel exporter of western brands and the textile industry’s development is important for the future of the nation. Bangladesh is a small but important production market for Gina Tricot. Ten suppliers are together responsible for approximately 12% of Gina Tricot’s production. The majority of suppliers are located in and around the capital, Dhaka. For school-aged children living in the slum areas of Dhaka, there is a lack of access to basic education.

Children from poor families are deprived of education and they can become trapped in a vicious cycle of poverty, illiteracy and child labour.

Since 2011, Gina Tricot has been involved in education for the youngest children of Bangladesh, supporting 150 preschools in the districts of Dhaka, Narayanganj and Gazipur. Gina Tricot is investing nearly SEK 25 mn in the project, helping more than 22,000 children aged 4-5 years to obtain access to education. Offering education at a young age is part of the long-term strategy to prevent child labour.